It comes after heavy rains in Sri Lanka caused floods and landslides that killed at least 180 people.

Bangladesh’s meteorological department had previously warned that low-lying areas of Cox’s Bazar, Chittagong and many other coastal districts were “likely to be inundated” by a storm surge of 1.2m-1.5m (4-5 feet) above normal levels.

Hundreds of thousands of people had been evacuated to cyclone shelters, schools and government offices as of late Monday.

Fishing boats and trawlers have been advised to remain in shelters as well.

The Bay of Bengal is prone to storms, and Bangladesh is often hit by severe weather during its rainy monsoon season from the middle to the end of the year.